1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.
The center of Jewry was the city of Jerusalem, but Jesus spent much of His ministry in Galilee, several days journey to the north. Both Jesus and John taught primarily outside of Jerusalem, apparently because of the wickedness and envy of the Jewish religious rulers. The previous chapter began around the time of the Passover (John 6:4), but then closes with no mention of it. Now the time of the feast of tabernacles is near. Had Jesus attended that year’s Passover? It is difficult to determine. Perhaps this verse implies that He did, but did not remain long and returned to Galilee because the Jewish rulers sought to kill Him (John 5:18). Alternatively, the statement that He would not walk in Jewry may indicate that He did not attend that year’s Passover, and instead remained in Galilee.
This was the last feast of tabernacles that Jesus attended. His death would be only a few months later at the next scheduled feast in Jerusalem, the Passover. To my knowledge, this is the only NT reference to the feast of tabernacles, which took place within the third (and last) of the yearly convocations, the Feast of Ingathering in the seventh month. Tabernacles was a family occasion that consisted of living in tents, just as the children of Israel had done during their trek out of bondage. It ran from the 15th to the 21st (Lev 23:34), but the convocation for Ingathering really began on the 1st with a ceremonial blowing of Trumpets, which was followed by perhaps the most holy day in all in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement on the 10th. The Ingathering convocation was finalized by a last gathering of the people on the 22nd, which may have been considered part of the Feast of Tabernacles (since it immediately followed Tabernacles), but was actually part of the larger festival of Ingathering. There were four additional mandatory “sabbaths” in the seventh month: the 1st (Trumpets), the 10th (Atonement), the 15th (Tabernacles) and the 22nd (Ingathering ends). Sometimes these mandatory sabbaths fell upon a regular Sabbath, and these were called high days in the time of Christ (John 19:31). All of these events were very sacred and are filled with symbolic meanings related to the final gathering of God’s people into the celestial kingdom (see my notes Zech 14:16-18 and Rev 14:1). I believe that John records these details of Jesus attending this last Feast of Tabernacles to call attention to the fact that Jesus fulfilled the symbolic details it contains. See Lev 23.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
Apparently Jesus’ brethren urged Him to go to Judea and work His miracles there because they didn’t want to be associated with Him, and wished to be rid of Him. The word brethren likely includes His brothers and sisters, His uncles, cousins and wider relatives. Note that they wished Him to depart hence and go into the very place that the Jews sought to kill Him. Maybe they were part of the earthly-minded crowd who had wished to make Him their king after He had miraculously fed them (John 6:15), and maybe they were simply soul-hardened apostates. They were certainly not God-seekers, but selfish, coarse, loud, violent men which filled the Jewish race at that time. Not all of Jesus’ family disbelieved. Some of His disciples were relatives, and the Apostle James was a close relative, some think a brother and others a cousin (Gal 1:19).
Many people – the rich, the poor, the powerful, the scribe, the ordinary cititzen – were offended by Him. He wasn’t the Messiah they wanted. The rich were offended at His poverty and the poor wanted a King that would give them food, the powerful wanted a savior from the Romans and the scholar wanted affirmation of the Law. Above all, the ordinary citizen wanted a Messiah to make them proud: a hard-talking, sword-wielding hero whose tongue and courage would unite the nation to new heights. And yet, there were many true wisemen among all those groups that saw the matter clearly and their hearts were drawn to Him for altogether different reasons. Here was a Man like none other; it was never so seen in Israel (Mat 9:33).
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
The Jews had been plotting to kill Jesus practically from the beginning and so Jesus had to keep a low profile. His time of ministry was not complete, so He will not antagonize the Jews too much. It was foreshadowed by the OT law that He be offered on the day of the Passover.
While it may appear that Jesus was not entirely truthful with His brethren, it is most likely a matter of translation. True, Jesus did wish to keep secret His plans to later attend the feast, but He did not lie about it. “Go up to the feast without Me,” He tells His brethren, “I’m not going yet because My time is not full come.” His words do leave room for Him to attend later.
Your time is alway ready. For every person, the right time is now, the day of salvation is today (2Cor 6:2; Heb 3:13).
9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
By not traveling with His family to the feast of tabernacles, Jesus could go unobserved to Jerusalem. The feast lasted a whole week, so He could leave several days after His family and still arrive in time for some of the activities. The last day of the feast was the most important. Where were the twelve disciples? Did they go up to Jerusalem without Him, or did He make known to them His plan to attend secretly?
11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
Jesus avoided much publicity by not arriving on the expected day, which lowered even more the false impressions of the crowds that He was supposed to become their literal king. The wondering and speculation among the people concerning Him continued, although everyone spoke carefully. They knew that the Jewish leaders were very critical of Him. Some thought He was a good man, and others thought He was nothing but a deceiver. They waffled back and forth between the two options, for, upon seeing Him work a miracle they would cry, Of a truth this is that prophet that should come into the world (John 6:14), only to later say disappointedly, This is an hard saying, who can hear it? (John 6:60).
While the people (v12) refers to the general populace, the Jews (v11,13) may particularly indicate the Jewish religious rulers, as that word is often used with that meaning. Anyone who had a good opinion of Jesus guarded his words carefully for fear of being excommunicated from the synagogue (John 9:22).
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Jesus delayed His public presentation in Jerusalem until about the midst of the feast. According to Lev 23:39-43, the feast of tabernacles lasted seven days, and was followed by a sabbath on the eighth day. Perhaps there is a parallel here to Dan 9:26-27, which foretells Messiah being cut off…in the midst of the week.
Jesus had been brought up to be a carpenter and had never studied letters, so how did He learn to read, the people wondered? Nor had He attended the Jewish schools that taught boys the Law, and yet from an early age Jesus amazed the doctors of the law in the temple by His learning and insight (Luke 2:46-47). Those who He had grown up with were also astonished at His wisdom and works (Mat 13:54). Above all, the people were surprised at His interpretation of the Scriptures, which He seemed to know better than anyone else (Mat 7:29) even though He had no education (see Mal 3:1).
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Jesus had the power to speak of things He had never been taught because His doctrine was not His own, it was God’s, who also had sent Him into the world to reveal the will of the Godhead unto mankind (John 12:49). The man who would sincerely follow the will of God must recognize that Christ’s doctrine originates in God. Jesus never worked a miracle to magnify Himself before men, nor did His doctrine draw attention to Himself in the earthly sense. Always His purpose was to point mankind to the true and righteous source of His teaching, the heaven of heavens of God the Father. The one who follows God’s will hath the witness in himself (1John 5:10), he knows that the doctrine is correct and true.
19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? 20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
By means of direct dictation from God, Moses gave the Law to the Jews. Yet history shows that they were unable to keep its holy precepts, some because of rebellion, others due to personal apathy, and still more by changing its meaning. So now, Jesus points out, is it not in keeping with your history that you reject Him who has brought God’s message directly to you in person, as God speaking to you face to face? (Deut 18:18).
The multitude immediately professed ignorance of any nefarious plan to kill Jesus, but just a few verses later we read that those who lived in Jerusalem did indeed know that the chief rulers were seeking to kill Him (John 7:25). The feast of the tabernacles drew Jews from even the far reaches of the Roman Empire and some of these were apparently unaware that His life was in danger.
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
The one work to which Jesus makes reference is almost certainly His healing of the impotent man on the sabbath day at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (John 5:1-15). The Jews had criticized Him for healing on the sabbath and had purposed to kill Him (John 5:16). This miracle apparently had taken place at the Passover a year and a half before (John 5:1), but it was still fresh in their minds and was probably a major part of the arguments for those who were defending Him (John 7:11-12). See note on John 6:4 for alternate ideas of the timing.
Jesus points out that the even the Jews recognize that the Law of the Sabbath is superseded by the ordinance of circumcision on the eighth day. Thus, the Sabbath law, which commanded that no work was to be done upon it, was ignored and the rite of circumcision performed upon the Sabbath day if the eighth day happened to fall upon a Sabbath. The Jews would work on the Sabbath to pull an animal out of a pit (Mat 12:11), but would not allow an infirm person to be healed. What poor judgment! Instead of judging rightly, they were judging superficially. Jesus’ statement to judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment should not have been new to the Jews, for their own Scriptures taught the same (Deut 1:16-17).
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? 26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
The common Jew in Jerusalem was not ignorant of the fact that the chief rulers were filled with envy on account of Christ (Mat 27:18), and that they had been plotting to kill Him for at least two years now (John 5:18). But now some of them were confused, for He was speaking openly before all, with no opposition from the scribes and elders. It was as if they were condoning His teaching; had they changed their minds? Had the rulers decided that He was the very Christ after all? Why did they not arrest Him?
When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is. Apparently, such was the thinking of those Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and they based their rejection of Him on the rabbinic idea that the Messiah would come shrouded in mystery as concerning His origin. They taught that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mat 2:5-6; John 7:42), but that His genealogy would be unknown (which was their interpretation of Is 53:8, who shall declare His generation?).Their interpretation was not so badly in error, yet they failed to recognize it accurately described Jesus of Nazareth, for truly His generation is unknowable, having been born of a virgin with no true earthly father. They also failed to investigate His early life and so were unaware that He had been born in Bethlehem. They knew that He had lived from childhood in Nazareth of Galilee, and simply thought that He had been born there.
On the other hand, if the rulers really thought Jesus was the Messiah, why were they rejecting Him? Would they really cast aside the One they had been waiting so long to receive? Tough questions.
28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. 29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
They all knew the man Jesus, and His father Joseph, His family and His home, but few knew His real Father and His real home. He had tried to tell them of His real identity and origin, but nobody would believe Him (John 6:35-42). Jesus knew the Father even as the Father knew Jesus (John 10:15), but such statements the Jews considered blasphemous. Yet Jesus performed works that even the Pharisees acknowledged were only possible to be done by the hand of God (John 3:2). They refused to accept His testimony concerning His identity.
30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? 32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
The rulers sought to take Him but without success. After another meeting to discuss the situation, the Pharisees and chief priests sent officers to apprehend him. But again they were destined to fail, because His hour was not yet come. They returned empty-handed. This time their excuse should have been a warning to these plotting men. “Why haven’t you brought Him to us yet?” the chief rulers demanded, to which the officers replied, Never man spake like this man (John 7:45-46).
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? 36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
Here is another cryptic saying of Christ that caused more hand-wringing and controversy, but it made sense after His death and resurrection. Many of Jesus’ teachings were given with thought of His coming Kingdom, and the establishing of that Kingdom would be a task for the disciples. His words were laying the preliminary groundwork that would later become important, faith-building doctrine. Having the advantage of many years of history to our benefit, this particular riddle does not seem that difficult, but other parables were not so easily seen, even during the first centuries after Christ.
Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me. While the first meaning is to His physical departure by death, there is also a spiritual intention. The Messiah was then present in their very midst, but He would be available to the Jews for a limited period. Shortly, He would return unto Him that sent Me. They would wish for Him, seek Him; but they had missed their opportunity. They would not find the Messiah. A similar statement is found in Luke 17:22. There is a day of salvation appointed for all men. Do not too throw away your opportunity (Is 55:6; Pro 1:28-29).
What manner of saying is this…? The questions of this group of doubting Jews seem to originate in a prior decision to reject Him (as in v27). They were simply looking for more reasons to scoff at Him, “Is He going to teach the Gentiles!?” A prominent part of Jesus’ teaching was that He was the Son of God sent to earth by the Father, and I find it difficult to believe that they sincerely did not understand when He said, A little while I am with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me. Like many do today when challenged, they were clouding the situation with supposed doubts and fictitious misunderstanding.
The book of John contains at least ten highly figurative statements of Jesus in various levels of difficulty. In some cases and circumstances, it is hard to fault the Jews for not understanding. Here is a list of literally difficult, but spiritually simple, statements in the book of John: John 2:19-21; 3:3-4; 6:42-44; 6:51-52; 7:34-35; 7:37-39; 8:21-22; 8:32-33; 8:52-53; 12:34; 16:16-18.
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
The last, great day of the Feast of Tabernacles was a holy convocation (Lev 23:34-36) to a special, mandatory “sabbath” upon the 22nd day of the seventh month, which was the eighth day of the Feast. This day marked the end of the Jewish religious calendar’s sacrifices and ceremonies as prescribed by the Law of Moses. The next year’s calendar would begin anew about 6 months later with the Festival of Unleavened Bread (see note on John 7:2). At this solemn assembly an offering by fire was made unto the Lord (Lev 23:36). In typology, the eighth day represents resurrection and seems to point to Jesus’ resurrection on the eighth day of Unleavened Bread, but why then the solemn assembly and the offering by fire? Perhaps it illustrates an important point concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection that isn’t much discussed, which is that without the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the sacrificial atonement could not have been completed. How could Christ offer living water to those who believe if He is dead?
We should note that the post-exilic Jews added to the Law of Moses the feasts of Hannukah and Purim. Both are celebrated in the six month gap between Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread. Hannukah is mentioned in John 10:22, where it is called the feast of dedication, which was an 8-day commemoration of the re-dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus about 190 years earlier.
Jesus’ cry for all men to come unto Him and drink is again based in figurative language that He does not explain, although this time John does provide the meaning. Water is used often in figurative contexts to describe cleansing from sin (Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; John 3:5), but we cannot confine that meaning to this passage. Truly, inner cleansing is first necessary, but then those living, cleansing waters will flow from the belly of the the man into all the world by the work of the Holy Spirit. The living water is the witness of the Spirit and the Word in the heart of the believer, which is the seal of our salvation (Is 12:3; Eph 1:13). Study also passages such as Is 44:3; Acts 2:17; Is 32:15.
As the Scripture hath said. The passage John has in mind is not easily determined, for there is nothing in the Old Testament that contains the idea of “rivers of living water flowing from the belly of he that believes.” However, a part is based on Isaiah 55:1, Ho everyone that thirsteth come ye to the waters, which John also loosely quotes in Rev 22:17. Clearly the figure illustrates the spread of the Gospel through the work of the Holy Spirit by means of human witness and preaching. See a similar analogy in Ezekiel 47:1-12, where the waters do not proceed from the belly, but from under the altar. The Greek word for belly (koilia) is used figuratively of the inner part of a man (Rom 16:18; Rev 10:9-10). It appears often in the Septuagint.
40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
Throughout this chapter, the confusion and division of the people over Jesus is constantly evident (John 7:12, 26, 31, 43). There was much contention and mis-information. Some said He was the Prophet, which was a reference to Moses’ prophecy in Deut 18:18-19 (see also John 6:14), while others believed He was the Christ, for apparently the Jews did not take Moses’ words to describe the Messiah although it clearly does. Then there were the unbelieving group, which included most of the Jewish rulers, and they repeated a popular objection, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). See note on v25.
44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. 45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
Though the Jewish officers, priests, Pharisees and virtually all other religious sects of the Jews were united in their quest to destroy Jesus (Ps 2:2-3), they could not seem to lay their hands on Him (Ps 2:4). Attempts were made to arrest Him, and perhaps secretly kill Him, but their plans continued to be thwarted.
Never man spake like this man. How true! And even more striking since it was not said by His friends. I believe that Jesus’ powerful words were accompanied by the eyes and demeanor of a man with more than human authority. How else to envision a whole company of men fleeing from the temple at the sight of one man with only a whip! Likewise at this occasion, the men sent to arrest Him were afraid to do so, not because of His imposing physical strength, but because never man spake like this man! In contrast, when Paul was found worshipping in the temple they immediately grabbed him and would have killed him then and there except for the intervention of Roman soldiers (Acts 21:30-31).
This people who knoweth not the law are cursed. While many of the common people believed on Jesus, very few of the Jewish rulers did, which according to their version is because THEY knew and kept the Law, but the people were ignorant and cursed. This idea apparently comes from Deut 27:26, see also Gal 3:10.
50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? 52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 53 And every man went unto his own house.
Only one cool head remained, it seems, but even his question was roughly cast out of hand. They had blamed the people for not knowing the Law, but when Nicodemus gently asked if the Law allows a person to be judged, sentenced and killed without trial, they erupted in anger and did not even attempt to answer the question. And Nicodemus was right, the Mosaic Law had quite specific rules for judging wrongdoers, and they were being completely ignored. See Ex 23:1; Deut 1:17; 19:15.Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. Which is an amazing fact. Here was a Man with incredible wisdom and power with no background.